Brad Pitt: I Love My Family So Much

Brad Pitt opens up about family and finding time for what’s important in life in this Sunday’s issue of PARADE. The 47-year-old father-of-six discusses “being a satisfied man,” his marriage to Jennifer Aniston, and building a family with the woman he loves, longtime partner Angelina Jolie: “Oh, man, I’m so happy to have her.”

The Moneyball star says life good! “I put much more emphasis on being a satisfied man,” Pitt says. “I’m satisfied with making true choices and finding the woman I love, Angie, and building a family that I love so much. A family is a risky venture, because the greater the love, the greater the loss. … That’s the trade-off. But I’ll take it all.”
Pitt goes on to say that he was not living authentically when married to Jennifer Aniston.

I spent the ‘90s trying to hide out, trying to duck the full celebrity cacophony,” he says. “I started to get sick of myself sitting on a couch, holding a joint, hiding out. It started feeling pathetic. It became very clear to me that I was intent on trying to find a movie about an interesting life, but I wasn’t living an interesting life myself. I think that my marriage [to Jennifer Aniston] had something to do with it. Trying to pretend the marriage was something that it wasn’t.”

But Angie, on the other hand…“One of the greatest, smartest things I ever did was give my kids Angie as their mom” Pitt gushes. “She is such a great mom. Oh, man, I’m so happy to have her.”

Pitt – who is dad to Maddox, 10, Pax, 7, Zahara, 6½, Shiloh, 5, and 3-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne – with Jolie, says fatherhood was very much “instinctual.”

“I was surprised at how automatic it is, how much of it is instinctual,” he says. “And now I have a great confidence and trust in those instincts. I mean, one sound at night and you’re awake and up because they may need you. Or when they start to have a tantrum, you know to divert them from spinning out by helping them focus on something. It just goes on and on. I tell them, ‘You can make a mess, but you’ve got to clean it up.’”

The hunky actor discusses adopting soon after meeting Jolie.

When Angie and I first met, we came together quite quickly and we decided we were adopting,” Pitt says. “Now the rules are that because we are not married, I can’t adopt. Angie adopts. We decided we were adopting a daughter. We were going to do it right out of the gate. We were not going to mess around. Angie said, ‘No shopping [for kids].’ I thought that was astute and beautifully put. It took the pressure off of adoption and brought a magic to it. We had set our parameters—we had room in our family if anyone needed a home. We got the call, and that’s our eldest daughter, Zahara.”

He goes on to talk about adopting from impoverished nations.

“You get an attachment to people and places that you see,” he says. “If you see suffering when you’re there, then you’ve made a connection to those people and you have to act on it. Once you have an understanding of it then you have to try to help. I say to people, go travel the world. Open your eyes. See it.”

When asked about nature versus nurture, Pitt says it’s mostly nature. “If you ask me about nature versus nurture, I’m going to say it is 80 percent nature, absolutely,” he says. “You see [a child’s character] six, maybe nine months in. Now, some of our kids need more nurturing than others. Some have more delicacy. They’re all just unique individuals.”

He goes on to talk about his bilingual kids.

All our kids are speaking French, so now we have that second language infused into our home,” Pitt says. “Everyone is learning another language. I’ve got the Rosetta Stone for French sitting right on the table in the bedroom, and it’s going to be loaded into my brain. I know there are certain synapses in my brain that just freeze dead at French, but I have to learn it because our kids are speaking it. [Laughs] Even the twins as babies were saying certain things in French.”

And just a note on the many rumors surrounding the super-couple.

“I mean, how many stories have you read that aren’t true, stories about me and Angie being married or fighting or splitting up?” Pitt says. “And when we don’t split up, there’s a whole new round that we’ve made up and we’re back together again! We’ll get married when everyone can. We’re not splitting up. And we don’t have a seventh child yet.”

Watch for Pitt’s new movie Moneyball to hit the big screen on September 23.

Seriously when do they even stop saying things about their just wonderful family :^(. Always asking for attention. They’re so annoying. Like I care that he loves his family. They say the same things every time.

Anonymous

That’s sweet. He sounds like any parent, super proud of his family. Any parent you meet will ramble on and on about his kids, plus it was an interview he’s suppose to be open and discuss his feelings and life. I think he handled the questioning on his previous marriage well, saying nothing negative about Aniston and blaming the failed marriage on his own issues. I love the work he and Angelina do, in both film and philanthropy however, not every can afford to ‘travel the world’. It’s sometimes irritating when wealthy celebs act like those who haven’t been to every continent are ignorant. Trust me, if I had his money…I would be traveling too.

Anonymous

I think it’s sweet, he acts like any other proud parent out there. Also, it’s an interview…he’s suppose to talk about his life, and his family happens to be a big part. Yes, the hype of this family is a little much, but I really love what the couple does. I also think he handled the question about Aniston was handled well. He made no negative comments about her, and blamed the failed marriage on his own issues. The only issue I have is he says “I say to people, go travel the world. Open your eyes. See it.” Not everyone has the money to travel the world, a lot of people don’t have enough money to go to Six Flags. Sometimes wealthy celebrities make comments that come off somewhat condescending to those who haven’t been to every continent. If I had the money, trust me, I’d travel the world too….

andreea

i think it’s beautiful that he says those things. If you don’t want to read it, just don’t, but I think It’s refreshing to see others love each other so much, not just divorces all around and nasty words.

D

This just shows what a douche Brad is. I don’t know why people always have to pick Jolie or Aniston, seriously Pitt was the one to hate in that triangle.
I can’t believe after putting Jennifer through what he did he would dare say stuff now. He really does ‘have a sensitivity chip missing’

Anonymous

If you notice, he never actually mentioned Jennifer Aniston by name (the interviewer inserted her in there). All he was doing was reflecting on HIMSELF, on his own progression as a human being past the emptiness and loneliness he felt during those years, where his life and his marriage wasn’t fulfilling him. He NEVER said it was Jennifer’s fault or specifically blamed her in any way, for anything. Actors self-reflect in interviews all the time.

Hearing all this can’t be news for Jennifer seeing as it was presumably the reason they broke up.

Anonymous

He says he’ll get married when everyone can?? Well…everyone CAN get married. You just can’t marry someone of the same sex. Just like you can’t marry a donkey or a bird. I personally think they are setting a bad example for their kids by not being committed to each other by marriage. But that’s just my personal opinion…..to each his own I guess.

Anonymous

Are you seriously comparing being married to a person of the same sex to having sex with random animals??? You are what is wrong with this world. I can’t believe that some people are still so ignorant.

Rebecca

Very much agree.

ZaraB

Me too. What a disgraceful comparison! And by the way, there is no greater commitment a couple can make than to commit to having and raising children together, and given that Brad and Angelina now have six kids, I’d say they’re pretty committed! Or would you say his marriage to Jennifer Aniston was more ‘committed’ simply because it involved a piece of paper. From what Brad says in this interview, it sounds like he was living a lie when he was with his ex-wife…

Rebecca

Well, anon at 4:22, thank you for successfully contradicting yourself. Sure “everyone” can get married, but not same-sex couples? I guess you must be very fortunate to not have been born a homosexual and have people withhold rights from you and claim that YOU shouldn’t be able to get married. How judgmental and hypocritical of you. Homosexuals and bisexuals are people too, and they deserve to have the same rights as everyone else. Sexual orientation does not and SHOULD not give people an advantage over others, and doesn’t change their humanity, nor their ability to have rights. Plain and simple. It won’t be until people stop thinking like you that EVERYONE will be able to get married. And as much as I do dislike Brad because of the way he handled Jennifer Aniston triangle, I really respect him for saying that.
Selfish jerks like you make me sick.

Anonymous

not that i agree with her, but she didnt contradict herself. she said everyone CAN get married, and they can. a homosexual can get married, but only to a woman.
so technically she didnt contradict herself..

Anonymous

A homosexual woman can not get married to a woman.

Julianne

Lovely. I adore this family. The greatest example of Hollywood Family.

The Shenaniganizer

Anon at 4:22:

People like you are what is wrong with the world.

I honestly really like these two. I think they seem to be great parents, very committed to each other and their family. They have strong views and stand by them no matter what. They not only give their own money to those in need, but they get in there in times of crisis and do everything they can to help, which more than can be said for most people, celebrity or not.

And seriously, when are people going to get over the whole ”poor Jennifer thing? It’s been 6 years people. I’m sure she doesn’t care anymore, so why does everyone else?

Anonymous

yeah you see that’s exactly the point.. it’s been soooooo long still the ass that he is makes comments that cannot be verified as Ms. Aniston for sure, once more, will have to be the bigger person and drop it. nice going selling another mediocre movie Brad..

Anonymous

He has never, ever, said anything remotely unkind or untrue about Jennifer. Ever. In fact this interview was the first time he has brought up his period, and it’s to explain his own personal feelings, not to diss anyone else.

On the other hand I can think of at least three times Jen has directly spoken about the Jolie-Pitts while promoting her own movies, just off the top of my head (remember the “uncool” comment?) And you’re trying to paint her as the bigger person? Some people have really short memories.

Anonymous

Anonymous 3:31am@ How is she bigger person when she been bringing up the marriage for the past 7 years when he said nothing. What has she dropped don’t forget her uncool comment she didn’t drop that and the last time she said something about him was “Inside the Actors Studio” a couple of months ago. But I guess she too was trying to sell another mediocre movie (Horrible Bosses).

Anonymous

Douche move on Brad’s part to have made that comment about Jennifer and his marriage to her. It was unnecessary and I say this as a big fan of this family. If he would help by stop bringing that whole period up, less people would be interested but he adds more fuel to the fire like this . I don’t care what Jennifer did or didn’t do, Brad, who basically labeled himself a master manipulator of the press, knows very well how the comment would be taken. If he’s so much better than Jennifer and more enlightened then he shouldn’t stoop to that level. It seems like such a cheap way of promoting himself.

Anonymous

If you don’t get married, your children are bastards.

Anonymous

It’s the make over stories in the tabs and mags that have to blame, with all this un truthfull headlines, and news that some reader believe. They are the manipulator. Why? because they are the one manipulating the life of this three people.. Then at one point they are personally interview and ask personal question,out of context with their movies. Everybody get shock,contradicting of what they get from the tabs and magazine. Those gossip writers, who manufactors all the lies. Brad and Angelina have the right to say about their life together, same with Jen and his partner now. This comes from their own mouth. So stop grinding your teeth and spitting germs from person you know nothing in private.